Back to school under very high tension, health and safety, this Monday morning, for teachers and the 12 million schoolchildren, college and high school students in France.
Initially, the return to class was scheduled for 10 a.m., all levels combined, while the teaching teams prepare the time to pay homage to Samuel Paty, this history and geography teacher beheaded on the evening of school holidays, October 16, in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine (Yvelines).
But National Education has revised its copy after the attack on Thursday in a church in Nice.
"By returning to the normal starting hours of the course, we allow a gradual arrival of the students," explains the ministry.
Both for health and safety reasons.
We want to avoid as much as possible massive gatherings of students and parents of students in front of the doors of establishments ”.
The measure aroused the anger of several teachers' unions and a minority but significant fringe of establishments decided to maintain the principle of a single start at 10 a.m.
# Covid19 |
Back to school on November 2, reinforced health protocol, staff and student safety, tribute to Professor Samuel Paty: message to the families of @jmblanquer pic.twitter.com/wSaMMeD9KT
- Ministry of National Education, Youth and Sports (@education_gouv) October 31, 2020
If the security argument does not seem to have convinced everyone, it nevertheless corresponds to the raising of the Vigipirate plan to the “Emergency Attack” level around places of worship, train stations, airports, medico-social health structures, press… and schools.
A measure decided in the hours following the terrorist attack on the Basilica of Nice.
"With a view to the start of the school year, it is necessary to strengthen all the dynamic security missions in the vicinity of schools or childcare facilities", specifies the Ministry of the Interior in a telegram distributed on October 29 with all the prefects of which Le Parisien-Today in France is aware.
A very real risk but a lack of staff
"The threat is high, especially in its endogenous component, with individuals present on French territory who can strike," decodes Laurent Nunez, national coordinator of intelligence and the fight against terrorism.
The threat projected from foreign countries also exists.
It remains weak, but given the unrest abroad, it calls for our full vigilance.
"
But human resources are not infinitely expandable.
Despite the significant strengthening of Operation Sentinel since the end of last week (recall of 4,000 additional soldiers), it is impossible to simultaneously secure the 61,000 schools in France.